Packaging



April 28, 1942. A. B. EREKSON 2,280,904

PACKAGING Filed Nov. 19, 1940 17 21 ll ilm "11m IIVVENTOR ARTHUR B. 'E/rsm/ BY QM ORNEY Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGING Arthur B. Erekson, Plymouth, Wis., assignor to The Borden Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 19, 1940, Serial No. 366,212

8 Claims.

The invention relates to the packaging of articles in cardboard containers or the like, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for applying covers to such containers.

It is an object of my invention to provide a method and apparatus for utilizing the operation of applying a telescopic cover to a container as a means of completing the formation of the container itself.

The invention finds special application to the packaging of small articles in containers of cardboard or the like, wherein one or more of the sides are arranged to be folded into their upstanding positions after the contents have been placed in the partially formed container, or upon the container blank. For example, in wrapping packages of foodstuffs, such as cheese, wherein the sides are designed to unfold to form a slicing and serving tray, my invention makes it possible to complete the folding of the carton and apply a telescopic cover thereto in a single step. The invention will be described with particular reference to this type of carton-i. e., with reference to packaging in a carton having a lower portion or container body with loosely folding sides. This form of carton is disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 366,213 filed November 19, 1940.

A further object of my invention is to provide a method and means for applying telescopic covers to containers having a loosely folding side by continuous automatic means. It is a relatively simple matter to apply such covers to containers having sides joined together to hold them upright. However, it becomes more of a problem to apply the covers during the continuous advancement (as by conveying means) of a carton having one or more sides which must be held upright during the advancement of the carton and during application of the cover. I have discovered that this can be accomplished in an extremely simple and effective manner by using the advancing means to hold up the trailing side of the container, lateral guides to hold up the lateral sides, and using the cover itself as a means of holding up the leading side of the container. This and other objects and advantages of my invention will now be explained more fully with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view showing a preferred form of apparatus for practicing the invention, and

Fi 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same apparatus, taken as indicated at 2-2 in Fig. 1.

The invention has been illustrated with reference to the packaging of a small rectangular article ID in a container whose bottom member ll consists of a flat section l2, having four sides, l3, H, M, and I5, designed to be folded into upstanding position against the article It, and to be held in that position by the sides iii of the telescopic cover IT. The container blank is scored along the fold lines where the sides join the bottom section 12.

The container blank, as shown best in Fig. 2, is placed on the table l8 of the ackaging machine in position to engage the stop pins l9 and the guide plate 20. The article I0 is placed in position as shown at the left end of Fig. 1. A pusher dog 2|, carried by a chain 22, comes around a sprocket wheel 23, passing through a slot 24 in the table l8 at the proper angle to fold the trailing side iii of the container into upstanding position against the article [0, and to carry the container forward (to the right as viewed in the drawings) The stops I9 drop below the surface of the table l8 just as the side l5 reaches its upright position, releasing the container for forward movement. In the embodiment shown, this is accomplished by a suitable cam control, for which purpose the stops l9 are mounted on lever arms 25, fixed to a shaft 26 oscillated at proper intervals by a roller arm 21 fixed to said shaft and cooperating with a suitable eccentric cam (not shown) which may conveniently be mounted on the shaft 28 which carries sprocket 29. The sprocket 29 is used to drive the container-advancing mechanism, and the shaft 28 may be driven from any suitable source of power through a drive 30. The drive 30 may be connected to the operating mechanism of a machine for applying an inner wrapping to the article ID (as, e. g., metal foil to cheese), thus synchronizing the operation of the two machines. However, any other convenient source of power can be employed, as may be desired.

As the container is pushed forward by the dog 2|, the lateral sides H, I4 engage the inclined guides 3| and are lifted into upright position against the sides of the article. Meanwhile, a cover I1 is moved transversely into the path of movement of the container in position to cause the inside of one of the sides I6 of the cover to catch the unfolded side l3 of the container upon advancement thereof. In my preferred arrangement, this is accomplished by feeding the covers I! by gravity through a chute 32 arranged at right angles to the table l8, and therefore droppins the covers into a position at substantially right angles to the bottom vl2 of the container.

As the cover reaches its position in line with the advancing container, it preferably is tilted slightly toward the container. In the construction shown, this is accomplished by means of a finger 33 arranged to pass through a slot 36 in the side of the chute 32, and oscillated about a shaft 34 at proper intervals by a roller arm 35 cooperating with a suitable eccentric cam (not shown) which may conveniently be mounted on the shaft 28. The cover is lightly restrainedin this tilted position by the pressure of the covers in the chute above. The retention of the proper tilted position may further be insured by so timing the action of the finger 33 that it remains in contact with the top of the cover until the lower side It thereof has been initially engaged by the unfolded side l3 of the container bottom.

As the container continues to advance, it pushes against the lower end of the cover, carrying it underneath the lower edge 31 of the back of the chute 32 and into engagement with a roller 38 supported in a manner to impose a yielding pressure on the top of the cover, as by means of mounting said roller on a swinging arm 39 pivotally mounted in lugs 40 on the chute. If desired, the roller 38 can be omitted and the lower edge 31 designed to force the cover over the container as it is drawn thereunder. As the container is advanced in this manner, the container and cover are moved together by a pivotal action around the fold line of the unfolded side I3 so as to simultaneously fold said side and bring the container and cover into telescopic relationship. Thus the side I 3 is pulled into folded position by the lifting action of the lower side N5 of the cover. The upright sections ll of the guides 3! feed the lateral sides I of the container into the cover. The final part of the action of swinging the cover down over the side I5 of the container is facilitated by the forward inclination of the pusher dog 2| as it passes around the sprocket 29 and moves I downwardly along the back of the package, for this forward inclination of the dog produces a slight forward inclination of the side l5 so that this side intersects, or lies within, the arc of movement of the edge of the descending cover.

It will be seen that I have provided an extremely simple and effective method of packaging which not only makes it possible to apply telescopic covers to containers having one or more unsecured sides while such containers are advancing continuously through the packaging unit, but which also results in combining into a single step the operations of applying the cover and folding one of the sides of the container body.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used in a descriptive and not a limiting sense, and I have no intention of excluding such equivalents of the invention described, or of portions thereof, as fall within the purview of the claims.

I claim:

1. A method of packaging which comprises placing the article to be packaged on the bottom section of an unfolded container, folding three sides of the container against the sides of the article, placing the fourth side in overlapping relationship to an inside edge of a telescopic cover detached from the container, and folding said fourth side against the article by pulling the cover into closed position on the container.

2. In a packaging machine, mechanism for applying a telescopic cover to a container having an unfolded side, said mechanism comprising means for continuously advancing the container with its unfolded side leading, means for holding the cover in position at substantially right angles to the container to receive the unfolded side of the container during its advancing movement, and means for folding the leading side of the container during said continuous advancing movement by pressing a side of the cover against said leading side of the container.

3. In a packaging machine, means for folding several sides of a container blank into upstanding relationship to the bottom thereof, means for advancing the container with an unfolded side leading, a chute for conveying telescopic covers into the path of movement of the container into a position at substantially right angles to the container to cause the inside of one side of the cover to catch the unfolded side of the container upon advancement thereof, and means operative upon further advancement of the container for pulling the cover into place on the container while folding the unfolded side into upstanding relationship to the bottom of the container.

4. In a packaging machine, means for folding several sides of a container blank into upstanding relationship to the bottom thereof, means for advancing the container with an unfolded side leading, means for conveying telescopic covers into the path of movement of the container with the top of the cover at substantially right angles to the bottom of the container and in position to cause the inside of the cover to catch the unfolded side of the container upon advancement thereof, and means operative upon further advancement of the container for pulling the cover into place on the container while folding the unfolded side into upstanding relationship to the bottom of the container,

5. In a packaging machine, means for folding several sides of a container blank into upstanding relationship to the bottom thereof, means for advancing the container with an unfolded side leading, means for conveying telescopic covers into the path of movement of the container with the top of the cover at substantially right angles to the bottom of the container, means for tilting the cover slightly toward the advancing container into position to cause the inside of the cover to catch the unfolded side of the container, and means operative upon advancement of the container beyond the point at which the unfolded side has been caught by the cover for swinging the cover about the leading side of the container to fold said side into upstanding relationship to the bottom of the container.

6. A method of forming a container from a flat blank which comprises folding all but one of the sides of the blank into upstanding relationship to the bottom, holding a telescopic cover in position to receive within it the unfolded side of the container and moving the container and cover together by a pivotal action around the fold line of the unfolded side so as to simultaneously fold said side and bring the container and cover into closed telescopic relationship.

7. A method of forming a container from a flat blank which comprises folding all but one of the sides of the blank into upstanding relationship to the bottom, holding a telescopic cover in position to receive within it the unfolded side of the container, moving the container toward the cover with the unfolded side leading, and moving the cover into telescopic relationship to the container by pressure applied to the cover which folds the leading side of the container as the cover closes into telescopic relationship with the container.

8. A method of forming a container from a flat blank which comprises folding all but one of the sides of the blank into upstanding relationship to the bottom, holding a telescopic cover in position to receive within it the unfolded side of the container, moving the container toward the cover with the unfolded side leading, pushing the leading side of the container against the inside of the cover near one edge and swinging the cover toward the container by pressure applied to the outside of the cover at a point removed from said edge to pull the unfolded side into folded position by the lifting action of the side of the cover adjacent said edge.

ARTHUR B. EREKSON. 

